On the other hand, if you pick up after the first ring, the caller may be taken by surprise by the quick answer. They may not have had enough time to formulate their thoughts.
A professional greeting like “Good morning” or “How may I help you?” helps get the conversation off on the right foot. [1] X Expert Source Tami ClaytorEtiquette Coach Expert Interview. 29 September 2020. Even if you have caller ID and think it’s a work friend calling, someone could have borrowed their phone, you can never be too sure. Answering the phone with “Yeah, what?” might give callers the wrong impression of you.
Many offices have their own script for answering the phone, so make sure you follow the rules your company has set out. If you’re not sure of your company’s phone scripting, ask your supervisor.
Once the caller has introduced themselves, address the caller properly by the title they provide. If they say their first and last name, and you want to be more professional, call them by their last name. [3] X Research source
If the person you’re speaking to says they cannot hear you very well, you can speak a little louder. Otherwise, keep your voice at a normal conversational level. [4] X Research source
Of course, when you’re speaking on your personal phone to friends, you can be informal with them and speak how you would in a face-to-face conversation.
A quiet environment will also allow you to focus on the caller.
For example, if you were typing on your computer or reading a book when the phone rang, stop these tasks and concentrate on the call.
If you saw on Caller ID that a friend or family member is calling, feel free to say something like, “Hi Tom! How are you today?”[10] X Expert Source Tami ClaytorEtiquette Coach Expert Interview. 29 September 2020.
If you don’t have a notepad nearby, ask the person on the other line to wait while you quickly go get one.
Since cell-phone calls tend to be more informal than calls to a business or land line, you don’t need to say your name when answering the call.
Even if you know the caller, avoid answering rudely. Don’t say, “What?” or “What do you want this time?”
If the person on the other end of the line sounds faint, turn up the volume on the side of your cell phone. If they’re still faint, ask them to put the mouthpiece closer to their face.
Even if you’re talking to a friend, they may have a hard time understanding you if you have a mouth full of food.
Even if the person you’re on the phone with can’t hear the words you’re saying to someone in person, they’ll be able to tell that you’re not focusing fully on the phone conversation.
